1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cup holder, which is disposed inside automobile passenger rooms. In particular, it relates to a cup holder, which can stably hold each of containers whose diameters differ with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cup holders have been used widely in order to hold beverage containers stably in automobiles. However, since beverage containers have various sizes, a variety of devices have been invented in order to hold them stably.
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3,283,009, a cup holder has been known conventionally. The conventional cup holder comprises a holder body, an outer-peripheral-side supporting member, and an inner-peripheral-side supporting member. The holder body has an accommodation portion into which a container is fitted. The outer-peripheral-side supporting member and the inner-peripheral-side supporting member are installed to the holder body, and are urged rotatably in such a direction that they protrude within the accommodation portion of the holder body.
In the conventional cup holder, the outer-peripheral-side supporting member and inner-peripheral-side supporting member are disposed rotatably about a shared rotary shaft-center, respectively, and are urged upward by an urging member to their datum positions at which they protrude horizontally within the accommodation portion of the holder body by a predetermined magnitude, respectively. Moreover, the outer-peripheral-side supporting member and the inner-peripheral-side supporting member have a holding surface, which is capable of contacting with and then holding a side face of a container, at the front end, respectively. In addition, the inner-peripheral-side supporting member has a length which is longer than that of the outer-peripheral-side supporting member. Consequently, when the outer-peripheral-side supporting member and the inner-peripheral-side supporting member are located at their own datum positions, the holding surface of the inner-peripheral-side supporting member is disposed farther away from the shared rotary shaft-center than the holding surface of the outer-peripheral-side supporting member is disposed.
When the conventional cup holder holds a minor-diameter container, the holding surface of the inner-peripheral-side support member, which is located at the datum position, and an inner wall surface of the holder body's accommodation portion support an upper side surface of the minor-diameter container. Moreover, when the conventional cup holder holds an intermediate-diameter container, the holding surface of the outer-peripheral-side support member, which is located at the datum position, and the inner wall surface of the holder body's accommodation portion support an upper side face of the intermediate-diameter container; and additionally the inner-peripheral-side supporting member, which is rotated downward by being pressed with the intermediate-diameter container as the intermediate-diameter container is fitted into the holder body's accommodation portion, supports a lower side face of the intermediate-diameter container. In addition, when the conventional cup holder holds a major-diameter container, the inner wall surface of the holder body's accommodation portion supports an upper side face of the major-diameter container; and additionally the outer-peripheral-side support member and the inner-peripheral-side supporting member, which are rotated downward by being pressed with the major-diameter container as the major-diameter container is fitted into the holder body's accommodation portion, support a lower side face of the major-diameter container.
However, intermediate-diameter containers have various configurations. For example, some intermediate-diameter containers are provided with irregularities, which extend in the peripheral direction, at the lower portion.
When the conventional cup holder, which comprises the outer-peripheral-side supporting member and the inner-peripheral-side supporting member disposed rotatably about a shared rotary shaft-center, holds an intermediate-diameter container, which is provided with such an irregularity, the inner-peripheral-side supporting member gets stuck with the irregularity of the intermediate-diameter container so that there might occur such an instance that the intermediate-diameter container has been less likely to be pulled out of the conventional cup holder.